Gas prices in Grand Forks region expected to increase over Memorial Day weekend

GRAND FORKS — Increasing demand over Memorial Day weekend is expected to bring spikes in gas prices throughout the region.

While gas prices in North Dakota and Minnesota remain stable at around $3, increased traffic will cause travelers to pay more at the pump, according to Skyler McKinley, AAA’s regional director of public affairs in North Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado. Memorial Day, which occurs on the last Monday of May, falls on May 27 this year.

“For motorists, prices north of $3 are frustrating,” he said. “They are always frustrating; that’s when you start changing your budget.”

According to the average gas prices listed by AAA

, the average gas price in Grand Forks on Thursday, May 23, was $3.22, up 4 cents from a month ago and down roughly 13 cents from the same day last year. This is lower than the national average, which was sitting at $3.61, up 7 cents from the previous year.

“We’re going to see robust demand, so I think we’ll still be north of $3 throughout the summer,” McKinley said. “But in that case, we’re victims of our own success, because people want to travel and demand drives prices up.”

Over Memorial Day weekend, McKinley said the price of gas may spike at certain gas stations, particularly those around interstates because of the increase in travelers. This spike is expected to occur over the weekend and usually returns to normal by Tuesday.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if at some of those service stations you’re paying $3.50, $3.55, $3.60,” he said.

Conversely, gas stations in neighborhoods won’t experience such price spikes and will likely maintain competitive pricing, according to McKinley.

Austin Kirchoffner, manager at the Amherst Oil gas station on South Washington Street and 8th Avenue South, said an increase is expected over Memorial Day weekend, but gas prices have otherwise been fairly stable.

“It is what it is, people are going to complain,” he said. “But right now has been a solid, solid time for gas.”

According to Kirchoffner, the gas station has had to change its price for gas only about five times since Jan. 1.

“That’s pretty damn good for what we’ve been going through,” he said.

According to McKinley, the price of gas has been stable because the price of crude oil, which comprises the majority of what people put in their gas tanks, has also been fairly stable. The price of crude oil is directly affected by international events.

“I was frankly anticipating a bit of a spike when we saw that the president of Iran died in a helicopter crash,” he said. “We didn’t see that. So, for now, it looks like supply is fairly robust and stable and demand is increasing.”

Tammy Kaiser, a Grand Forks resident, said she would be traveling to Bemidji over Memorial Day weekend, but that the price of gas wouldn’t affect her ability to do so.

“I wish they would come down,” she said. “Because, you know, with the economy, with the gas, or the prices of food and gas, it’s making people not be able to do that traveling and see family and friends.”

Kaiser, who was fueling her SUV at the Simonson Station Store on South Washington Street, where gas was priced at $3.30 per gallon on Thursday, said it seemed like prices were coming down.

“Well, you know what, it’s been going up and down this last month, it seems,” she said. “I think it’s getting a little bit better. Me, personally, I think it is.”

According to McKinley, decreasing gas prices aren’t necessarily a good thing.

“I think we all want to see cheaper gas prices,” he said. “When gas prices are very cheap, they tend to be an indicator of something wrong with the economy because demand has dried up.”